Nevenwerk II by The Ives Ensemble at the Korzo in The Hague

Although the Korzo in Den Haag is one of the Netherlands’, if not Europe’s, major players in the presentation and promotion of contemporary dance, it also provides a forum for some innovative and exciting new music.

Last night the superb Ives Ensemble presented Nevenwerk II to an enthusiastic audience in the venue’s main Zaal. The first of the three pieces played during the concert was Morton Feldman’s 1971 Three Clarinets, Cello and Piano. This slow piece, with lots of pauses and pizzicato from the cello has a mystical quality that has the listener eagerly awaiting the next phrase. The three clarinets, played by Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer, Hans Petra and Erik van Deuren, formed a perfectly matched unit producing some beautiful sounds and textures.

For the second piece, the clarinettists, and pianist John Snijders and cellist Job ter Haar, were joined by Josje ter Haar on violin and Helen Hulst on viola to play Arnold Schönberg’s 1926 Suite op.29. This is almost in the form of a sonata and is based on a single twelve-bar row emphasising the notes E♭and G which represent the composer’s name and that of his wife, Gertrude.

The concert culminated with a brand new work by the Dutch composer Richard Rijnvos who is Professor of Composition at Durham University in England. Entitled Riflesso sullo spazio (Reflections in Space) this was billed as a world premiere, although it had been played earlier in the week in Amsterdam. This is a companion piece to the Schönberg and in his variations on the German composers themes Rijnvos similarly uses the eight letters of the composer’s name which can be used as notes to create the composition. The result is a forty minute piece based around a series of rolling arpeggios on the piano with often lilting harmonic responses from the other instruments. There were some beautiful harmonies and textures to this piece which at times were almost melodic.

Contemporary music is not everyone’s cup of tea and can be difficult to understand and access. But it is worth making the effort and there would be no better place to start your appreciation than with the excellent Ives Ensemble. Michael Hasted 19th April 2019

Post navigation

Welcome to ArtsTalk Magazine Holland

Launched in June 2017, we are the sister publication of StageTalk Magazine in the UK and provide previews, reviews and information, in English, for theatres, art exhibitions, concerts, opera etc, concentrating on cities in south west Netherlands (Noord/Zuid Holland and Utrecht regions). Each venue, museum or gallery has its own page with information and a link to its website. The site is updated regularly and information is always coming in so there is always something new to discover or read about.

If you are promoting any events, please let us know and we’ll probably be able to list them.

Please subscribe to ArtsTalk Magazine using the box at the bottom of the page and follow us on social media using the links below so you are always up to date with the arts in Holland.

1st June marks an important milestone in the struggle against the coronavirus as far as the arts are concerned. Finally, after two months of lockdown, performance spaces, galleries and museums open their doors to the public – with very tight restrictions and controls. For museums, especially the big ones in Amsterdam like the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh, it will mean one is able to look at the pictures in a calm and leisurely fashion

EXTRACURRICULAR

by Parikrama Rai of Victory Art in Rotterdam.
The current pandemic has presented us with many challenges: one of which is to stay connected with the world despite being locked in our quickly shrinking homes. The internet has, however, been a blessing during this dark time. For us art enthusiasts especially, it has given us a connection to the inspiring world of art from a safe distance.

NEWS UPDATE

We will bring you relevant news about the Coronavirus situation in the Netherlands, The Hague area in particular, gleaned from various Dutch sources thanks to Omroep West and DutchBuzz.

Headlines for Wednesday, 3rd June

GGD CORONA TESTING LOCATION OPENS IN NOOTDORP

Public Health Minister, Hugo de Jonge, will officially open an outdoor corona testing centre in Nootdorp today. As of Monday this week, anyone with signs of the coronavirus can apply for the test. If you have signs of the coronavirus, you can make an appointment for the test by phoning 0800-1202.. . . .

The ArtsTalk Podcast

Each week ArtsTalk Magazine editor Michael Hasted presents a podcast focusing on cultural events in and around The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

We meet Brazilian dancer and choreographer SAMIR CALIXTO about his work at the Korzo Theatre in The Hague and there is a song from Canadian singer and performance artist RONLEY TEPER. We talk to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen director SJAREL EX about The Depot, an annexe to the museum which will be opening next year. . . .

BOOKS & LITERARY EVENTS

Paolo Giordano won Italy’s premier literary award at the age of twenty six with his very first novel, The Solitude of Prime Numbers. Written in between the completion of his undergraduate degree and his PhD in Physics, he would go on to complete his doctorate but then devoted himself to writing.